This invention relates to terminal means for electrically connecting the pin of the central conductor of a coaxial cable to electrical circuitry on an insulating circuit board.
The insulating circuit board will usually be a printed circuit board.
The invention will have principal application in cable television (CATV) circuitry but is by no means limited thereto.
In CATV and similar applications, components such as directional couplers, line splitters, power inserters, amplifiers, taps, etc, have their circuits on a printed circuit board of insulating material contained in a metal housing with lid. With one or more coaxial cables mechanically attached to the housing and the central conductors thereof projecting through a side wall thereof; the central coaxial conductor is connected to the circuitry on the circuit board while the outer conductor is connected to the metal housing. In case of malfunction, it is desireable that a serviceman be able to easily remove the cover and then the circuit board and replace it with a new circuit board. When the upper limit of the bandwidth was 700 Megahertz (MHz) or lower, the circuit board could be made considerably smaller than the inner dimensions of the metal housing and disconnecting and connecting the central coaxial conductor from the circuit board could be performed relatively easily by a variety of means because of the relatively large clearance between the board and the inner dimensions of the housing. However with bandwidths above 700 MHz and, in some cases, up to 1000 MHz (1 Gigahertz (GHz)) or higher, the effect of the ambient physical components on the circuit parameters has rendered it desireable that the dimensions of the circuit parameters has rendered it desireable that the dimensions of the circuit board approach as closely as reasonably possible to inner housing dimensions. It is therefore desireable that, to replace a malfunctioning circuit board, the board be electrically disconnectable and removable directly upwardly out of the casing (and perpendicularly to the plane of the board and the pins of the central conductor which extend inwardly through the housing side walls). The replacement board equally should be designed to be moved downwardly perpendicular to the plane of the board and the pin axis; and, in situ, easily connected to the pin.
The terms `top` and `bottom` and `upward` and `downward` relate to the convention used herein that the lid is on the top or upper side of the casing and this convention is adhered to herein even though in some applications the lid may be horizontally, downwardly or otherwise disposed relative to the housing.
By `pin` herein I mean the stub end of a central coaxial conductor, projecting beyond the remainder of the conductor usually used for connecting the central conductor to a circuit component.